Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5W-19152

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 26 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to its STEM bursary scheme have been rejected.

Question reference: S5O-02453

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 October 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure equality of opportunity for young people across all local authorities.

Question reference: S5W-18763

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 26 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to (a) fund and (b) recruit the additional school counsellors that were announced in the Programme for Government, and when they will be in post.

The creation of 350 school counsellors in school education across Scotland is part of a package of measures to ensure that children and young people get the support that they need. We are commencing work with partners in local government to implement this commitment quickly which will be funded by the Scottish Government.

We will produce a Delivery Plan on all of the Programme for Government mental health commitments which will set out the specific actions and resource required to implement the actions as quickly as possible.

Question reference: S5O-02332

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 September 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors and shares data on chemicals of environmental concern, particularly chemicals that are closely related to those that are already restricted.

Question reference: S5W-18032

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 20 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it informs (a) local authorities and (b) schools about parents' and young people’s rights regarding standardised assessments in primary schools.

The Scottish Government has made clear that the Scottish National Standardised Assessments are part of everyday learning and teaching. The assessments provide teachers with diagnostic information to help them plan next steps in children’s learning. Similar to other methods of assessment in schools, there is no legal basis for a parent to withdraw their child from the SNSA. If parents have specific queries or questions about their child undertaking the assessments then they should discuss this matter with their child’s school who will take the decision on whether to grant the request as they would for any other aspect of learning and teaching.

Question reference: S5W-17885

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 3 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether its plans to raise the student loan repayment threshold to £25,000 will include existing students and those who are currently repaying loans.

Question reference: S5W-17779

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 1 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many bursaries for people changing career to train as a teacher in STEM subjects have been agreed for the academic year 2018-19

Question reference: S5W-17562

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 29 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in implementing the recommendations in Pathfinder Scotland's report, Transforming futures for women with ovarian cancer, in particular, in relation to the first recommended action in relation to the inclusion of ovarian cancer in a Detect Cancer Early awareness campaign.

A new Detect Cancer Early campaign, relevant to all tumours, is due to launch later this year to reduce fear of cancer and empower those with a worry or concern to take action. An options appraisal – to review new evidence and consider the addition of a new tumour group to Detect Cancer Early is also underway with clinicians, charities and patients across Scotland.

The report also listed two other key actions for Scotland. One was 'A review of the implementation of SIGN ‘Management of epithelial ovarian cancer: a national clinical guideline (135)’ to ensure this has been rolled out fully and to evaluate its impact'. With regards to this, r egions have agreed clinical management guidelines and treatment protocols in place to underpin the care and treatment for patients diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer that take account of current clinical evidence and best practice guidance. Performance against nationally agreed quality performance indicators is reviewed annually. Work is underway to further analyse this data.

The third key action was 'NHS Scotland to ensure all women with ovarian cancer are aware of where to go for support, including counselling.' In relation to this, GP and other members of the multidisciplinary team are expected to signpost/refer patients to appropriate sources of support. We have also committed to deploying 250 community links workers in practices who work directly with patients to help them navigate and engage with wider services including cancer support services. In addition, NHS Scotland works in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support, who deliver Improving the Cancer Journey programme, which seeks to ensure people with cancer have access to all the support services and information they are entitled to.

Question reference: S5W-17516

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 6 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Ministerial Statement on Scotland's Education Reforms on 26 June 2018, whether it will provide details of the £46 million of investment.

As set out in my statement to the Scottish Parliament on 26 June 2018, the £46 million of investment is comprised of:

Up to £10 million over the next academic year through Regional Improvement Collaboratives and Education Scotland, to enhance regional capacity for improvement and to support regional activities which help schools to close the poverty-related attainment gap and address rural deprivation;
Over £32 million over three years from the Scottish Attainment Challenge to target and support the specific needs of looked after children; and
Up to £4 million of funding over three years for high quality professional learning for serving and aspiring headteachers.

We are working with key partners in local government, Education Scotland and the teaching profession on the precise detail of the distribution of this funding, to ensure that these measures, and our other education reforms, progress with pace and deliver continued improvements for our children and young people.

Question reference: S5W-17297

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 26 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17017 by Kevin Stewart on 13 June 2018, how much funding has been provided under the Help To Buy Scheme to people purchasing new-build houses from Taylor Wimpey in each of the last five years.

Year	Units	Spend
2013-14	97	£3,698,820
2014-15	511	£20,263,605
2015-16	494	£18,930,462
2016-17	390	£10,464,580
2017-18	342	£8,700,304